Speedway Costs Compared

[Guest]

Speedway bikes and other equipment these days cost thousands of pounds.

 

I bought my first speedway bike from Eastbourne rider Steve Bole in 1954. The charge? Just £5.50 - an old JAP engine, the bike previously raced by Charlie Challis of Plymouth and Leicester in the late 1940s.

Prices have certainly changed since those days. In today's terms that £5.50 would have been £139.54p. A bit different to the fact I see two modern era used speedway bikes being offered at £1,800 and £2,000.

In 1954, £77 was equal to £1,800 in today's terms with £86.12 equal to £2,000. But then an average man's wage was about £7.50 a week.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Guest

[Grachan]

I remember Brian Leonard selling speedway bikes in his shop in Thatcham. It must have been the late 70s and they were about £500-£600 if I remember correctly.

[iris123]

Guess a lot is down to the advanced technology.You could have someone knocking out the old bikes for a cheap price,but who is going to buy a brand new "old" JAP as they would finish last in every heat!!!And you would still need a new silencer which would double the price as those cheap old silencers wouldn't be allowed nowadays

[Guest]

I made comparison calculations in regard to going to speedway in 1946. The admission then was one shilling ninepence old money - to day equal to £3.10p. The programme was sixpence old money equal in today's terms at 89p. My fare was also the same amount.

In old times my actual outlay was two shillings nine pence equal to an overall expenditure in comparative terms today to £4.88p. However, that £4.88 in 1946 would today in real terms be equal to £177.17p.

May I add, maths is not a strong point for me but I think these calculations are correct.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Guest

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Ive a brought a few bikes in the last couple of years for less than £500 and they are good enough to compete in the NL but there comes a point where they become classics and sudenly are worth a lot more .around 15 years ago you couldnt give a weslake bike away .try to buy one today for less than £1000. Same with japs and 2valve jawa. Currently the early laydowns from 95/96 are pretty worthless but are still good enough for NL but kids these days will never ride them .already early GM,s are starting to fetch good money again but 10 years ago were worthless

 

 

 

I bought my first speedway bike from Eastbourne rider Steve Bole in 1954. The charge? Just £5.50 - an old JAP engine, the bike previously raced by Charlie Challis of Plymouth and Leicester in the late 1940s.

.

if that bike were still around today it would be worth £3500+

[Guest]

 

 

 

I bought my first speedway bike from Eastbourne rider Steve Bole in 1954. The charge? Just £5.50 - an old JAP engine, the bike previously raced by Charlie Challis of Plymouth and Leicester in the late 1940s.

 

 

 

if that bike were still around today it would be worth £3500+

 

I sold the bike to the French speedway rider Claude Boston for £7. It was taken to France by Pete Rogers who was a regular starter for the Victor Boston Speedway Troupe in the late 1950s early 1960s.